Quoth the Raven
by Orinjambie
Summary: It's been two years since Alice Liddel left Wonderland. It is beginning to fall into chaos, offset by Alice's desertion, and now because of Orin's arrival. In Alice's place, Orin has to figure out the key to saving Wonderland. And it lies with the Jaberwock
1. In his forest

It has been two years since the foreigner, Alice Liddel, left Wonderland. When she didn't return, the role holders one by one gave up hope of her returning and soon became bitter towards her memory. So now when a new foreigner, Orin, comes from to Wonderland from the 21st century, they don't exactly welcome her with open arms. But what neither the role holders nor Orin know is that Wonderland is starting to fall apart. Orderly chaos is deteriorating into utter chaos. First because of Alice, and now because of Orin. And the key to saving Wonderland lies with the Jaberwok.

A fair warning now, I rated it T for violence, some limeness, and mild yaoi. And also swearing, I'll throw in a mix of mild to moderate swearing, and sometimes the word fuck. Fair warning.

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><p>Figures stood in a partial circle, surrounding a body lying limp on the ground. Their faces were obscured and morphed by paint and ash. As one they began to chant, their voices synchronizing perfectly:<p>

"_Energy billowing in on the northerly winds; cold and crisp_

_Protected by the Northern Dragon_

_Heed our prayer and lend us your strength_

_Energy trickles down like water; pure and clear_

_Guarded by the Southern Dragon _

_Heed our prayer and lend us your compassion_

_Energy roaring within the hot flames; passionate and cruel_

_Sanctioned by the Eastern Dragon _

_Heed our prayer and lends us your judgment_

_Energy stored deep in the rock bed; unmovable and persistent_

_Watched over by the Western Dragon _

_Heed our prayer and lend us your wisdom_

_Dragons of North and South and East and West_

_Heed our prayer and come forth_

_Open the gates of Time and send forth this vessel _

_For she has done wrong by the Laws _

_By her blood she is condemned _

_To bleed until she has righted her wrongs_

_Heed our prayer and send her through the door !Send forth Orin so that she may redeem herself in your eyes!"_

A sound, like thunder, put the woods in a hush. Birds and animals alike fell silent, wondering about the noise. There was not a cloud in the sky nor was their the smell of rain on the wind. Minutes ticked by and one by one the woodland creatures began to spread life back through the trees. Soon it was as if nothing out of the unusual had occurred. Mostly unbeknownst to them, the reason of the noise lied on the ground.

Grass tickled Orin's nose; the sensation both annoying and new. Snorting, she jerked up only to have an instant wave of vertigo send her back down.

'Why am I lying in grass?' Orin thought drowsily as she opened her eye. Patchy blue sky peeked through the green canopy of the trees. A lone bird flitted across one patch of blue, shrieking as it went. Somewhere else a squirrel or chipmunk began to chatter loudly at another only to fall silent and scramble up a tree.

Sitting back up, Orin looked around at the surrounding woods. Nothing jumped out as immediate danger although an ominous aura prevailed despite the bird song and warm sunlight. Figuring that she had been there for too long the girl stood, brushing herself off as she did so, and started walking. Before she had gone very far, darkness crashed down on the world.

'Creepy darkness, creepy shadows, creepy woods, creepy noises, creepy place. Where am I?' Orin wondered as she pushed through another bush. Moonlight filtered down through the trees, accentuating the odd signs that were nailed to the trees. Arrows pointed in different directions while windows and doors seemed to have been molded to the trees themselves. Long shadows seemed to jump out from the doors and the bases of the trees. Somewhere a bird chattered angrily as it was roused from its sleep.

"Please say that was my fault." Orin muttered leaning against the trunk of a tree. The squirrel continued to chatter angrily and even went so far as to chuck a green pine cone at the girl. Only when she had gone did the furry creature subside in it's furious rant.

"Stupid squirrels. Annoying little pests always being a pain in the neck." Orin grumbled as she stepped onto a path. "Ha! I'm not totally hopeless."

"Then you won't be needing help finding your way?" A voice asked, sounding almost disappointed. Orin turned and blanched. Standing not four feet away was a red haired man dressed as a sort of joker. He didn't wear much for color however, his main suit was black. A triangular cut skirt, checkered with a black and red design, wrapped around his waist. On his hip was an odd, smiling mask, framed on one side by roses. His red hair was parted neatly to reveal a single lidded eye that stared at Orin. The other eye was covered by a gold and black eye patch.

The man smiled, a seemingly genuine gesture, not missing the girl's once over.

"Pardon my manners, my name is Joker, the ringmaster of the circus and these are my woods. You are not from around here are you, Miss…"

"Orin, and no I'm not from this part to say. I was actually just passing though, I didn't mean to trespass."

Orin's mind raced as she tried to figure out a way to edge past him without leaving the path all together.

"There's no where else to go, girlie. Not if don't want to get even more lost that is." Orin's heart nearly stopped as a new voice rang out. Joker frowned and looked down at the mask on his hip.

"I told you to be quite, Joker, now you've gone and scared her." Joker reprimanded the mask sternly. Under any other situation, Orin would have found the exchange somewhat amusing, if not irritating. But as it was she was lost and now dealing with a mad man.

"She was bloody scared to begin with. Besides, I'm getting bored of this." the mask's voice took on a dangerous tone. Joker sighed and crossed his arms,

"Don't mind him, he means no harm. He simply has a foul mouth with no filter attached." Joker said apologetically. Holding out his hand he smiled again, Allow me to make it up to you. You can stay at the circus for the night and in the morning when you are rested, I can escort you out of the woods."

"Your offer is greatly appreciated, but I have some friends waiting up for me. I don't want them to worry." Orin explained lamely, trying not to be rude. Despite her pitiful efforts to sound believable, Joker quirked an eyebrow, seeing straight through her lie.

"That is a shame. Maybe the next time we meet you would like to come see my circus. It's really fun you know." Joker smiled, his lone eye closing in a sort of wink, and walked past Orin. She flinched at the scent of old blood over laid by dirt and animals.

'Not likely' Orin though with a shudder. If there was anything that terrified her, it was clowns and jesters. They seemed to hide behind fake smiles and bright colors so you couldn't see the real person hidden beneath the make up. It was unsettling to think about what it was that they were trying to hide.

Orin shook her head, dispelling unwanted thoughts, and pushed on. As she went, a chilled breeze picked up, carrying the smell of open fields and rain. Orin groaned as a drop of water splashed on a leaf. Sagging the fragile extremity down before sliding off and allowing it back up.

Soon more rain began to fall, drenching the world in a downpour.

"Just absolutely wonderful!" Orin muttered, breaking into a run. Her bared feel slapped down on the muddy path, squelching in the newly formed mud every once in a while. Reaching out unnoticed, a tree root sat exposed by the rain, and dipped into a puddle. Not seeing the root, Orin swerved around the puddle, her foot sliding neatly under the root, and catching. The girl sprawled forward into the large, muddy puddle.

"Razzin' frazzin' whipper snapppin' apple chuckin' groundhogs!" Orin cried, her foot throbbing painfully, and water dripping off of her. "Is this what I get for growing up in a city? Thank you, Mother Nature for your kind lessons! Love you too."

Orin felt her ankle gingerly, it was sprained. Growling in frustration, she hauled herself out of the puddle, and began searching for something to prop herself up with. On the other side of the path, a tree limp hung half of the tree, a smaller branch grew off it, forming a crook. Standing up, she hopped over to the branch. Then gripping it with both hands, heaved until it finally pulled away. Deciding it would work for the time being, Orin started to make her way back down the path, towards the open field and hopefully some kind of shelter.

For the next half an hour, Orin hobbled along the muddy path, starting to tremble from the cold more and more. By the time she reached the clearing the storm had grown worse, if that could be considered possible.

Dominating the clearing was a thick wall, and a rather ornate gate, behind which sat a large mansion. It was of common build from what Orin could see, but still extravagant. Who ever owned it was very well off, and also very determined to keep people off his property. The gate was situated under a narrow arch and provided little shelter. Nevertheless, Orin pressed herself against the wall, grateful for the slight reprieve.

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><p>AN- So I went back through and added a real beginning so now it's hopefully an easier beginning.

As for the razzin' frazzin' whipper snapppin' apple chuckin' groundhogs, I've actually used this line before when I stubbed my toe on the stair T_T Why are stairs so mean?

Anyway, hopefully I'll have a new chappy up soon for you guys if you care to read it. Even if there are no reviews for awhile I'll post them anyway 'cause I'm a space hog lol


	2. Rains an odd thing

For the next half an hour, Orin hobbled along the muddy path, starting to tremble from the cold more and more. By the time she reached the clearing the storm had grown worse, if that could be considered possible.

Dominating the clearing was a thick wall, and a rather ornate gate, behind which sat a large mansion. It was of common build from what Orin could see, but still extravagant. Who ever owned it was very well off, and also very determined to keep people off his property. The gate was situated under a narrow arch and provided little shelter. Nevertheless, Orin pressed herself against the wall, grateful for the slight reprieve.

"What business do you have here?" a rather well dressed servant stood on the other side of the gate. He had to shout to be heard over the rain. Orin jumped at the sudden appearance and had to catch her balance again with her bad foot. Pain lanced through her leg, making her hiss in pain. The servant looked at her impatiently, eager to get out of the rain.

"I was looking for some shelter from the storm." Orin said apologetically as she leaned on her crutch. The man was silent for a moment, debating whether or not he should open the gates. Finally, with an inaudible sigh he opened the gates and ushered the girl in.

"Come with me and we'll at least get your ankle wrapped." He took her arm and wrapped it around his shoulders, supporting her as they made their way to the mansion. The inside of which turned out to be even more extravagant then Orin had originally expected.

A long rug stretched from the door to a grand stairway that curved along the wall. A polished banister followed the stairs, ensuring that no one would accidentally fall over the edge. Intricately carved wal trimming lined the base of the walls and the two doors that stood in the center of the room, facing each other. Next to the door itself two heavy curtains of a deep wine color, were hung by strong rods.

Orin began to marvel at the extravagance of the only to be tugged through one of the doorways leading into a larger, well-furnished room. Dark, polished bookshelves dominated one side of the room while a large fireplace filled another. Three lavish sofas sat around a coffee table in the very center of the room.

"Wait here." The servant ordered as he hurried off through a door. It was tucked away by a bookshelf, hiding from immediate notice quite effectively. Dim light reached from under the door, barely lighting the room up. Fortunately it was enough to make out the general layout and to show that no one was nearby. Before Orin could properly look around two new servants came bustling in. The female walked straight over with a towel, dress, and strips of cloth in her arms while the male set about lighting candles.

"Dry yourself off with this and then put the dress on. And be quick about it." The maid snapped, obviously not pleased with having been woken up so she could fuss over a stranger.

Quickly, Orin began to peel off her shirt and tank top only to have to struggle with her jeans. The wet denim preferred to cling to her skin rather than slide off. Huffing in annoyance the maid began to tug on the bottom of Orin's jeans, knocking the girl down onto the ground in the process. When the clingy pants had finally been taken off the other servant took them and disappeared through the door again. Vigorously, the maid began to towel dry Orin, much to her displeasure.

"I can dry myself off you know." she protested.

"Master Blood will be coming soon and you need to be presentable." the maid responded curtly as tugged the dress down over Orin's coarse fabric scrapped uncomfortable on her skin. "Now sit."

The maid roughly pushed Orin down onto the couch and grabbed her leg, making the girl wince.

"Alright, alright, no need to be so bossy." she grumbled irritably.

"No need to be so rude to the ones who are so graciously helping you." a new voice reprimanded.

Orin twisted around to look at the newcomer. He was dressed in a white suit with the four different card suits embroidered along the front. His gloved hands gripped a cane tightly, as if he expected to have to lash out. A black top hat, lined with roses and cards, sat on top of silky black locks.

"You must be a foreigner, you certainly have the attitude of one." he observed, looking rather bored.

Resisting the urge to make a sharp comeback Orin dipped her head politely. "My name is Orin. I apologize for intruding like this but I was looking for shelter from the storm." As if to emphasize the need for shelter, thunder boomed loudly, sending a tremor though the manor.

"Yes, it is rather nasty outside. Odd that it would rain during this month. Be what it may, I am Blood Dupre, owner of the Hatter estate. I see you've hurt your leg." the last part was noted more for politeness then real concern. That much Orin was sure of.

"Sprained." the maid confirmed as she tightly wrapped a splint around Orin's leg.

"How inconvenient," Blood sighed, "You may stay here until your leg has healed enough to walk on. After which, we will see." with that he turned and left.

'My isn't he gracious.' Orin thought sarcastically twitching her ears towards the door as a new servant appeared through it. In his hands were a pair of real crutches which Orin traded gratefully for her stick.

"If you guys don't mind my asking, what happened to your eyes?" Orin cocked her head slightly. A habit she formed when ever something piqued her curiosity.

"We have no role in the game. Therefore we are replaceable, and to show this we have no face." the maid explained, doing her best to hide her growing irritation and impatience. Orin layed her ears back, wondering what she had done to recieve such hostility, and said nothing more as the maid finished.

"There," she stood and turned to the newer servant, "Will you show her to a room while I take care of this mess?"

The faceless servant nodded his head wordlessly and walked out of the room. Balancing carefully on her new crutches, Orin followed after him, hoping they wouldn't have to go upstairs. Much to her dismay, they did. The servant ascended the stairs quickly and paused at the top, looking back. Flushing in frustration, Orin doubled her efforts t climb the stairs faster so when she finally reached the top of the stairs she was breathing heavily from effort and pain. Multiple times she had bumped her foot against the next stair, receiving a fresh reprimand.

The servant waited for a moment before turning on his heel and walking briskly down the hall. Sighing, Orin hurried after him.


	3. A New Foreigner?

"A new foreigner!" Elliot repeated in disbelief to which Blood simply nodded.

"Yes, it's been little over two years since she left. I can't help but wonder if Peter was so desperate that he felt he must bring the girl here." Blood mused as he glared out of the window at the driving rain. 'Didn't it rain that day as well?'

"Doubtful, the prime minister took Alice's departure pretty hard. Even if he was desperate, I don't think he has quite let go yet."

"The question of how she came here still stands." Blood mused softly, "It's too soon for her to have simply come here on her own accord."

Elliot folded his arms and leaned against the desk. For awhile both men were silent.

"Right now it doesn't matter how she came here. She will be staying here until her leg has healed enough to walk on after which she will leave. I'd rather not repeat our mistake again." Blood said finally to which Elliot grunted in agreement.

Orin sat in the wide comfortable bed with her good leg tucked into her and her other propped on a pillow. It had only been a few days since she had been allowed to stay at the estate and she was growing restless. The servants seemed to always be busy with their daily tasks and only came into the room when they absolutely had to. Blood also seemed to be endlessly busy as did whoever else may be living with him.

Flopping back onto the bed, Orin growled in frustration. "Screw this, they probably won't even notice if I explored a little."

Nevertheless, the girl slid off the bed and carefully slipped out the room. An air of lifelessness choked the empty hall and, no doubt, the rest of the mansion. Despite this bright golden sunlight lit the hall warmly, stretching languidly across the floor and reaching up the walls. Only a few doors lined the opposite wall before the hall turned sharply. Curious, Orin peeked around the corner only to discover another hallway. From down aways the delicious smell of cooking food wafted out of a small elevator lift.

'I wonder if that means Blood's office is nearby.' the girl thought as her ears twitched in amusement. A large nicely carved door stood at the end of the hall, beckoning Orin closer. 'What a strange name for a man of his status. It would be more understandable if he was part of the Russian mafia or something. Dupre Blood sounds even weirder though.'

Smirking at her train of thought Orin leaned closer to the door. There wasn't even a peep from the other side. Turning away in disappointment Orin almost bumped into a man with scruffy looking rabbit ears.

'Smells like a hare though' Orin noted looking up at him.

"Better not be trying to snoop." the man warned dangerously.

"I wasn't snooping I was exploring." When the hare looked at her dubiously Orin quickly changed the subject. "I'm O-"

"Orin, I know. Look we're busy right now so if you would run along back to your room, that would be wonderful." the hare dismissed, brushing past her.

"Maybe I could help?" Orin asked hopefully. Even paperwork would be better then sitting around all day.

"No, you'll just get in the way."

"And how can you be so sure? You don't even know what I can and can't do." Orin retorted angrily as she glared up at the man.

"Quite frankly I don't care what you can and can't do, nor do I need to know because either way you'll be in the way. You're proving my point right now." the hare stated pointedly.

Orin opened her mouth but closed it again, "Fine, let me get out from under your feet. Thanks for everything!" with that she turned on her heel and made her way back to the stairs. If it could even be considered possible, the descent was even harder and more life threatening then the accent. Gravity seemed to want to tug the girl forward onto her head. Finally though she reached the bottom of the stairs and leaned against the side rail gratefully.

"Oh, are you leaving already?" a servant asked, noticing the girl.

"Yeah, I think I've overstayed my welcome. Say you wouldn't happen to know where my original clothes are, would you?" Orin looked up at the man; something oddly familiar struck her about him. The servant was silent for a moment before nodding.

"If you wait here a moment I can retrieve them for you."

"'Kay." Orin sat down on the bottom stair with a nod and stretched her leg out. As she waited, her thoughts drifted back to the hair, anger boiling up again she growled silently.

'Who is he to talk about being in the way? Rabbits are good for nothing but eating, breeding, and food. I used to eat rabbits like him all the time, should've just eaten him too.'

"Here are your clothes," the servant's voice cut through Orin's thoughts, bringing her back to reality, "If you'd like a room to change in then follow me."

Without waiting for a response the servant turned and walked towards the opposite set of doors. Not having much of a choice Orin followed after the man. Unlike the set of doors on the right side of the entryway the doors on the left led into another long hallway. Windows dotted the wall at irregular intervals but still let enough light to make the hall warm and welcoming.

"There is a changing room through here. Just leave the dress on the bench, and also, you can keep the crutches." The servant gave a small smile and suddenly Orin remembered.

"You're the guy who first let me into the mansion!" she breathed deeply through her nose, confirming his scent.

"Yes I am, how did you know?" he asked, taken by surprise.

"Your scent mostly but it was also the fact that you were actually being nice to me." Orin shrugged casually before adding, "Thanks for letting me in by the way... and for being nice to me."

"Think nothing of it. You're different from so maybe you won't leave." the servant smiled softly for a moment and turned.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Orin asked quickly catching the servant's shoulder.

"You'll have to excuse me but there are some things that I must attend to." he shook his head, slipping out from beneath Orin's hand like it wasn't there. Then he was gone.

Orin glared at the wall for a moment, silently cursing the servant's lack of response, and turned to walk into the changing room. It turned out to look more like a locker room than anything else. Square cubbied shelves formed a comfortably private area to change straighten one self up. A wooden bench stretched through the middle while a full mirror stood next to one of the shelves. From somewhere else the smell soap and cleaner indicated that there was a bathroom nearby.

Orin quickly stripped off the scratchy dress and pulled on her own clothes, the fabric felt soft in comparison. As Orin pulled her tank top over her head she slowed, a melancholy feeling ebbing into her thoughts.

'How did any of this even happen?' she thought, walking over to the mirror.

"And when did I last look in the mirror..." Orin ran a hand through her short blonde hair, moving her bangs to study her face. It had barely changed since the last time she looked. With a sudden feeling of indifference she let her hair fall back and finished dressing.


	4. Germans in Wonderland

Passing through the gates Orin hurriedly made her way back to the path. Details once hidden by darkness and rain now stood out clearly in the early afternoon light. Details like how the path forked off from the original path. And the large castle sitting on a high hill to the right and a clock tower that soared above the trees to the left.

"Maybe I can get a better layout of the land from there." Orin mused, gazing at the tower. Making up her mind rather quickly she set off down the fork leading to said tower.

In the sunlight the trees were far less ominous. Nevertheless something seemed to be hiding within their spaced trunks and leafy undergrowth. As if to confirm this a bush rustled. Orin stopped, her ears pricked forward. A young otter hopped through the leaves and stood up on it's hind legs as it noticed Orin. Curiously it studied the girl even as she studied it.

"Ze hell jou lookin' at?" it asked with a clear German accent.

"At a talking otter." Orin shook her head harshly. "What is wrong with this place?"

"Zere is nothin' vrong with dis place, zere is something vrong vith jou, miststück!"

"Excuse me, water rat? I have no idea what the hell you just said but it _sounded _insulting." Orin stepped forward furiously.

"Vant to fight? Bring it, mutt!" the otter scampered forward, chittering angrily. Orin dropped her crutch while flipping the other. Ignoring the threat of pain she side stepped the otter, swinging the crutch down like a golf club. It caught the otter's body, flinging it back into the bush. For a moment it seemed that the otter was done. The moment was ruined, however, as it flung its body out of bush again. It snarled viciously as it tried to latch its yellowed teeth in to Orin's leg. Before it could, Orin slammed the crutch down on the otter's body, breaking its spine.

"Gross." she muttered hopping away from the body. Not sure what she should do with it Orin kicked it awkwardly off the path. At least then no one would have to stumble upon it.

Before long a small, old English looking town came into sight. Cobbled streets were lined by trimmed stores and houses. People walked this way and that, all wearing clothes that seemed to be a tad too modern to match the buildings. To Orin they looked sort of like gingerbread houses.

Glancing back Orin realized the tower had somehow put itself behind her.

"You've got to be kidding me." she muttered starting to turn back. As she did a frail, yet strong, hand gripped her shoulder. Turning around she was confronted by a eyeless elderly couple. They smiled kindly, it was the kind of smile that would instantly warm anyone's heart, and Orin was no exception.

"You look lost, sweetheart. Where are you trying to get to?" the old man asked, releasing his grip.

"I was trying to get to the tower. The path looked like it would go in the right direction, but apparently not." Orin shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"The clock tower is a long ways away for someone with a bad leg. Pleas, come and stay awhile." the old woman smiled with sweet innocence. Nevertheless a small doubtful worm tickled the back of Orin's mind.

"I really should-"

"It would be nice to have the company. Our own daughter died during childbirth." the old woman's eyes glazed over as she remembered the bitter memories, coming back with a rueful sigh she said, "You look so much like her."

Instantly guilt weighed down on Orin's shoulders, making them sag under the invisible weight.

"Alright, thank you." Orin smiled half heartedly as she followed after the elderly couple. The arthritis inhibited gaits were easy enough to keep up with as they skirted around the town. As Orin began to wonder what they were doing by the path in the first place, a homely looking house came into view. It wasn't exactly like the gingerbread houses on the street but it was close.

"I'll go ahead and put the banana cake in the oven. I hope you like sweets, Mary absolutely loved them so we have a lot of recipes." the old lady bustled through the kitchen as soon as they stepped in.

"Love them!" Orin beamed excitedly at the prospect of something sweet and sugary. Perhaps things wouldn't turn out so bad after all. "My name is Orin by the way."

"Orin." the old man repeated, "That's a unique name, you got there."

"It's a lovely name. Well Orin, you can call me Nana and him Papa. Here, have a seat and prop your leg up." Nana ushered Orin to sit while pulling another chair as a foot rest.

"There she goes deciding what's what." Papa threw a hand up good naturedly, "I'll tell ya now, if ya let her she'd tell you that the world is endless!"

Nana said something in her defence but Orin didn't hear. Her eyes roved around the kitchen, taking in every detail. It was small but not small enough to be cramped with three people in it. A light blue counter wrapped around two of the walls. Matching cupboards hovered over the worn counters while a cast iron stove sat nestled at the end of the counter on the far wall. Along the wall next to the door a rectangular table, which was big enough for four or five, sat, giving an alright view of the living room. From what Orin could see there was a dusty sofa and an old bookshelf.

"Oh listen to us bickering like old geezers. You must be starving." Nana fretted as Orin's stomach growled rather loudly. "I made some cookies this morning, hopefully they didn't harden."

"The way you make them they never harden. But the way you do things sure make other things harden." Papa said with a conspiratal wink. Orin coughed awkwardly, looking away to hide her disgust. Nana on the other hand, smacked the old lecher with a giggle.

'Spare me please!' Orin stole a glance back at the couple and was relieved to see that they weren't being lovey dovey anymore.

"You're a foreigner right?" Papa asked suddenly, a calculative look in his eye.

"I've been called that, yes. What exactly is meant by 'foreigner'?"

"Is Cadence going to be here soon?" Papa turned to Nana, completely ignoring Orin.

"She should be here shortly." Nana confirmed as she checked on the cake. The warm smell of bananas filled the air as the door was opened.

"You didn't answer my question." Orin protested loudly. Still the couple ignored her, suddenly lost in their own world. The doubtful wormed began to wiggle again, suddenly bigger and more insistent than before. Something was up, life on the streets taught the necessity for caution. Even the smallest of things could mean death or worse, and Orin had forgotten that golden rule.

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><p>AN So it just occurred to me just how short these chapters really are... I feel kinda lazy for that. Do you guys want longer chapters or are you fine with this?

And as for the talking otter, well it was bound to happen, and I couldn't resist it being german. Curse you Blitzwing with your sexy german accent! .


	5. A New Type of Hobby

A sharp rapping announced the arrival of a new comer. Startled, Orin twisted around to see a beefy faceless women step through the door. Long oily hair laid flatly across her shoulders while the rest was held back in a tight bun. The dress she wore was cut for someone a size smaller and much better looking but still this woman managed to somehow make it seem as if she were wearing a light blue sack.

She smiled at the couple, wrapping her thick arms around them and exclaimed,

"It smells wonderful in here!" her smile faded when she noticed Orin.

"It's so good to see you, Cadence. How have you been, sweetie?"

"I've been great. Finally got the stuff we ordered in, now we just have to whip it up." Cadence said vaguely as she broke the hug. Orin tipped her head questioningly but otherwise said nothing, she already knew what the answer would be. Silence.

'I think it's time to go... wait, where are my crutches?' Orin's eyes flicked across the room and fell upon the wooden crutches, leaning casually on the far counter. There was no possible way she would be able to sneak around and grab them without being seen. Papa had his back to them but had full view of the rest of the kitchen. Nana and Cadence stood facing each other, making it impossible to sneak behind the other without being seen.

"So, who's she?" Cadence jabbed a sausage sized thumb at Orin with obvious disdain. "Doesn't look like much."

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you talking about me or yourself? Because I'd have to disagree. You look very much like a fat ass pig to me." Orin gave a satisfied purr when a spark of anger sparkled in her eyes.

"You little whore!" Cadence growled, tucking her head down to form more chins. "You're all boobs and no brain if you don't know who you're talking to."

"Cadence, let's not go too far, we wouldn't want to reveal too much." Papa warned. He crossed over to the front door and locked it. Orin was on her feet in an instant but a hard fist knocked her back down.

"What does it matter? She's just going to be stuffed like the rest anyway. In fact, why don't we just let her go and tell the other role holders so they can know what fate awaits them!" Cadence cried jubilantly, her eyes now bright and dancing.

"No, we've come too far to mess things up now."

"Damn right you've messed up." Orin was now on her feet, a crutch in hand, "You messed up when you brought me here."

"And you expect to win with that?" Cadence sneered. Orin only response was to swing the bottom portion of the crutch around. The hard rubber tip struck Cadence's cheek, causing a rippling effect, and knocking her to the side. She staggered and both Nana and Papa stepped forward to help her but before they could Cadence rushed forward, grabbing Orin's shoulder and driving a fist into her stomach.

Despite not having eaten anything, Orin's stomach revolted and bile filled her throat, forcing her mouth open. Thick, chunky blood spurted out, splashing across the woman's face. Sputtering she fell back, blood trickled into her mouth. For a moment it looked as if something was wriggling through the red chunks but it was quickly gone. Orin brought her attention back to Cadence as her world went dark.

Psychedelic colors swirled in comprehensible shapes. Looking at them for too long made the watcher queasy, doubled with the lack of solidity, the dream world was a rather unsettling place.

Not many people came here on a regular basis but some did, or had, and sometimes it was the easiest way to talk to the incubus.

"A new foreigner?" said incubus asked, looking genuinely surprised as he floated weightlessly. He looked past Blood, into the swirling colors, looking for the girl.

"I'm surprised you didn't already know. usually you're on top of things like this." Blood raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "The fact that you didn't know means you didn't bring her here then."

"No, I did not. I would have known if she'd come here on her own accord. It could be possible that she was sent through by someone else." Nightmare smiled mysteriously, "someone from her own world."

Blood snorted, "If you know more than tell me, I don't have time to play games."

"I only know what you told me, perhaps Julius would know more, but I can tell you this. The girl is in a bit of a tight spot right now. Somewhere outside the town." Nightmare straightened now, looking down on the mafia boss.

"That is a useful bit of information for someone who actually harbors concern for this foreigner." Blood turned away as if to leave but the incubus' words stopped him.

"She's not Alice.

Cold fury swept through the mafia boss yet he kept himself outwardly calm and in control. "I am aware of that fact."

"She might not leave." the incubus said softly.

Blood didn't reply as the dream world faded around them. Leaving both Nightmare and blood to wake in their prospective rooms.

Sharp chemical smells burned Orin's nose, making her eyes water behind her lids. Reaching up to rub her nose she realized that her hands had been bound tightly, as were her legs and feet.

"She's awake." a gruff voice announced.

"And damaged, no thanks to Cade. Stupid idiot." another voice responded.

"Hey, she attacked us! What the bloody fuck do you expect me to do about it?" Cadence rebutted.

"You didn't have to beat her to a bloody pulp. We can't save a body that's full of broken bones and bruises ya know." the first reprimanded, "and we can't just gut her."

"She wouldn't look so bad if we did." Cadence argued heatedly. "And why does it matter, we're just going to stick her with the other one anyway."

Orin cracked her eye open and looked around. Candles provided the only light in the room, darkness outside the window heralded the night. The room itself looked almost exactly like the living room Orin had seen early from the old couple's living room. The only difference being the people who now sat stiffly on the couch and chairs. Each one was positioned a different way, with different expressions, face or faceless. One girl in particular drew her attention, though she didn't look very different from the others.

She was dressed in a blue dress, a white apron was spread out over her lap, hands folded neatly in the folds of both dress and apron. Her eyes, closed in silent laughter, were framed by long hazelnut hair. Resting on top of her head was a cute little bow that matched her dress.

Only after she had stared at the girl for a few seconds did she realize what was so odd. None of the people moved though their muscles would have been sore from sitting so rigidly.

"A shame, you had such a pretty face." Nana looked down at Orin sadly, "Now we're going to have to wait for it to heal up. That way you can stay pretty forever."

"Ma, would ya stop talkin' to her like that? It's creepy enough when you talk to the dolls, but the to be dolls is worse."

"And why's that, Jonathan?" Nana asked crossly.

"'Cause they can talk back." Jonathan whispered softly, as if he were worried someone would try to listen in.

"Enough of you!" Nana shooed the man away out of the room. Suddenly she turned back, "Come along, we have to prepare a room."

For a moment Orin wondered if the woman was talking to her, until a stick of a man stood from the dusty couch. At first glance he didn't seem to be very much. A second glance would have noticed how attractive was and a careful study would have caught the dangerous glance he cast at Orin.

"Of course," his voice was high, nothing very special. As Nana turned her back the man looked over his shoulder and shot a wink at the bound girl. Taken by surprise Orin wondered if the wink was flirtatious or conspiratorial. The answer came in the form of a candle stick, it's wick burning just inches from her face.


	6. A friend

Hey you guys I am so sorry for my near in existence for a while there. I have been plodding through school and art which is surprisingly difficult when you actually put effort into your works. Anyway here is another chapter of Quoth the Raven and things are getting interesting ;)

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><p>"Okay, let's see how easily I can move." slowly, the girl raised her arms towards the flame. Almost immediately her arms and shoulders screamed painfully. 'Just a little further!'<p>

The ropes binding her wrists didn't burn right away, instead the weak flame chewed slowly through the fibers. It seemed to be forever as each fiber broke and the rope loosened enough to pull off. For a moment she lied there, letting blood flow back into her arms as she eased them forward. Somewhere upstairs something fell followed by Nana's chastising. Grabbing the candle Orin set to freeing her ankles.

"Tsk, tsk, trying to escape?" a familiar voice asked. Orin's eyes snapped up, a defiant growl emphasized a hiss, rumbled in her throat. The stick of a man raised an eyebrow.

"Now that's no way to thank the person that's trying to help you."

Orin fell silent, watching the man suspiciously as he ambled over to the dolls. Stopping in front of the girl in the blue dress he plucked the bow from atop her head and turned back to Orin.

"Sometimes being loved by all isn't really that great. How can you know it's true when so many proclaim their affection for you?" he asked kneeling down next to Orin and replacing the candle in her hand with the bow, "Here, show this to the role holders if you like. They will understand what it means."

"Why?" the girl asked as the man picked her up bridal style.

"They deserve to know." he answered indifferently.

"No, why are you helping me?" Orin clarified as the man kicked over the candle. Fire caught to the carpet and ate its way throughout the living room. Soon flames were consuming the dolls, furniture, and walls.

"Why are you looking the gift horse in the mouth?" he countered uncaring of the fire. Fire followed them through the door into the kitchen. Voices drifted down a stairway that was hidden by a door and were soon drowned by the roar of flames.

"Will you at least give me your name?" Orin pressed looking away from the fire as the heat burned her face.

"For now you may call me a friend but I'll tell you what. If you can figure out my name by the time we next meet I will tell you want you want to know." he smiled setting her down next to a tree. By now screams and shouts could be heard from the house. Fire seemed to have engulfed the entire building.

"One way someone should never have to die by is by fire." Orin murmured as the house burned.

"So you care if they die?" the man asked calculatingly.

"Hell no! They were going to stuff me like some kind of mangy animal. It doesn't matter where you are, if someone tries to kill you, you kill them first." Orin growled as she leaned against the tree. Pain and weariness weighted down on her limbs, making her want to sleep.

"Your friends will be here soon. Until next time, Orin." the man bowed and turned, leaving Orin to drift into a light sleep.

"Girl, wake up." an unwelcoming familiar voice cut through Orin's peaceful sleep. "Wake up, damn it!"

Orin opened for the second time that day and glared up at Elliot, "My name is Orin, hare. Shut up and let me sleep."

"I'm not a hare!" Elliot fumed.

"Don't make me eat you." Orin growled. An unfamiliar voice laughed.

"Shut up, Ace. And get out of here, you're in the way." Elliot snapped to someone behind him.

"I am not. And besides, I want to see the new foreigner too." Ace almost whined. Orin opened her eyes and looked over at the owner of the new voice. Short messy brown hair framed curious red eyes. A sword was belted around a matching red jacket.

"Hey, she's awake now!" the man smiled cheerfully as he walked over to the bed and leaned down.

"Never seen a foreigner with dog ears before. Are you sure she's not from around here?" he asked turning back to Elliot.

"Of course she's not from around here, dummy."

"Now that's not very nice, Ellie." Ace laughed cheerfully. He seemed to be a very cheerful man indeed. Unlike most of the other people she'd met so far. They either wanted to kill her or were angry for some reason, with a few exceptions of course.

"Where am I?" Orin asked sitting up slowly. Plain compared to what the other rooms must have looked like, the room had a vanity that double as a dresser. A wardrobe sat next to it while a desk and chair dominated another wall. Across from it was the bed that Orin laid on. Purple and red comforters were spread across it with matching pillows. The walls themselves were a lighter pink colors.

"You're in the Hearts castle. It was the closest place from town so Elliot brought you here to be fixed up." Ace replied before Elliot got the chance to. "In fact the doctor should be here soon."

'The castle on the hill...' Orin nodded quietly.

"I've got work to do." Elliot stated as he shut the door, none too gently behind him.

"Wow, you've really ruffled his feathers. He's usually only that crabby when I go to the mansion or someone calls him a rabbit." Ace noted as he watched man go.

"So he's not always so grouchy?" Ace shook his head. "What the hell did I do?"

"You came at a bad time." Ace said more solemnly then Orin thought possible.

' "You're not like her..." '

"Looks like the doctor is here, I'll see you later." Ace waved, already back to his cheery self, and was out the door just as an elderly faceless man came in. Giving Orin a quick once over he grunted. Dressed simply in a worn out pair of slacks and a button up shirt he didn't seem to overly concerned if his appearance set off patients. A cloud of white hair rimed a shiny dome where hair once grew.

"Strange times." he muttered testing Orin's ribs, noting her wince he nodded.

"Things around here aren't always strange?" Orin looked skeptically at the doctor, more pointedly at his eyes, or lack of.

"You wouldn't know, being a foreigner and all, but yes. In fact I wouldn't be surprised it some of the things weren't because of your arrival here." he pulled the bandages tightly around her ribs with a sharp tug. "But we know better don't we." his eyes twinkled knowingly. Suddenly it felt as it though it were twenty degrees colder in that small room.

"It's a strangely exhilarating feeling to know of something even bigger. Something lurking behind the scenes. It's like knowing the twist in a story even before anyone else does. It's a truly magnificent feeling!" he chuckled a little as he wrapped a new splint to Orin's leg. "Don't worry too much though, you'll find out in due time. You'll be the star of the play after all. Now stay off your leg for a while. As for your ribs, there are a few cracked but nothing broken. You're lucky." Nodding a farewell the doctor gathered up his bag and shuffled out the room.

"Star of the play..." easing back Orin stared up at the ceiling. Unsurprisingly was pink in color like the walls. "This place is so weird." she thought back to her own home in the city. Strange things happened there as well but they were the norm. Maybe coming to this place was a result of some of the things happening there. It was rumored that a group was behind those things. It was also rumored that the could use a sort of magic. Something that was rare.

"Knock it off, thinking about old rumors won't get you home." Orin glared accusingly at the ceiling, frustrated and confused at the whole situation. The ceiling gazed back down at Orin blankly as if to ask her what she expected of it. It was just a ceiling after all.

A warm tingling made Orin look down at her wrist where a ribbon had been tied tightly. It was made of a soft blue material trimmed with gold. As Orin fiddled with it she noticed a small heart embroidered onto it. Clearly it was meant to be tied up into a bow.

'But what about the girl? Who was she and why is it so important that they get this? She must have been of some importance.'

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><p>AN I'm curious as to what you guys think of our dear nameless friend? He can't be all that bad can he?


	7. Help please?

Hey guys! Yes I know this isn't an actual chapter and I'm sorry for those who are interested in following this story and are waiting for an update. I am stuck and looking for help. What do _you _think should happen to Orin next? What kind of mischief does she get into? It could be intentional or it could be accidental. Just throw ideas at me and I may or may not use them, if I do don't expect me to use it word for word but don't worry, I will give you credit =)


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